GCH Concrete

ALTHOUGH A NEWCOMER TO THE FIELD, THIS TEXAS FAMILY BUSINESS ENJOYS EXPLOSIVE GROWTH

May 04, 2017

Trust in Komatsu durability and dependability

Nearly every business starting out would
like to experience the phenomenal growth
that GCH Concrete did in its first year. The
Granbury, Texas-company’s story is especially
compelling, considering that the Petty family,
who owns and operates it, had no experience
running a concrete plant when they began
building one two years ago.

“Before opening GCH Concrete, we had
a company geared toward the oil and gas
industry with an emphasis on pipelining,”
explained Malcolm Petty, Owner and
President. “That business involved some
concrete work, but we mainly subbed that out
at first and learned to pour and place as we
went. As far as running a batch plant, we had
no idea. We hired someone to teach us how to
run the facility and make mix designs.”

After obtaining the necessary permits to start
a plant, the Pettys began the building process
in January 2015. They sold their first batch just
five months later.

GCH Concrete is a strong, family business
owned and operated by Malcolm and his wife,
Patti, their sons Cole and Cade along with their
wives, Lisa and Kelby. Each member of the
Petty family plays a prominent role. Malcolm
oversees the company, Cole runs the quarry, and
Cade takes care of the concrete plant. Patti is the
Office Manager, Lisa does accounts receivables
and Kelby handles accounts payable.

The Pettys moved to the Granbury area a little
more than 10 years ago. At the time, Cole was
in flight school in Arlington. The family came to
visit him for Christmas, and decided they liked
the Dallas-Fort Worth area well enough to make
it their new home.

“Our background was in farming in west
Texas, near Seminole,” recalled Malcolm, noting
that GCH stands for Gaines County Harvesters,
the name of the family farm. “My father and I
farmed for 30 years. After visiting Cole, we got
out of farming and moved here, really with no
plan. A developer asked us to help him, which
led us into the quarry business. That work
evolved into oil and gas pipelining, and the
quarry end dropped off.”

Variety of mixes

Recognizing the cyclical nature of the oil and gas
industry, the Pettys knew they needed to diversify.

“The timing was perfect,” noted Cole. “A
gentleman we worked with in pipelining said
there was a definite need for additional concrete
suppliers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
and surrounding areas. We decided to take a
chance. The amount of construction going on
right now is phenomenal, so we have remained
busy since day one. We knocked on a lot of
doors to let people know we were in business,
and it paid off.”

GCH Concrete generally delivers within a
60-mile radius that includes the Dallas-Fort
Worth Metroplex. Its largest delivery order to
date totaled almost 700 yards.

“We started with six mix trucks, and
we’re up to 10,” noted Malcolm. “We make
approximately 10 products, ranging from basic
to highway mixes. We also produce specialty
items such as stained concrete; a pea gravel mix
that’s used around pools; and custom orders
for residential, commercial, governmental and
other customers.”

Meeting their own aggregate needs

At first, GCH Concrete sourced the materials
needed to make its concrete mixes from area
quarries. Recently, the company began to
self-supply from a quarry it acquired. Nearly
all of the sand and aggregate that GCH mines
is used for its own purposes, but the company
does sell some overburden as select fill to
outside contractors.

“Once again, we were in the right place
at the right time,” acknowledged Cade. “An
acquaintance from our oil and gas days had
some property for sale that had the material we
needed but were having a hard time getting. We
bought it, and that’s proven to be a great move.”

“Having a dedicated supply is a real
advantage because it ensures that we always
have the materials needed to make concrete,”
added Malcolm. “In the past, the quarries we
bought from limited the amounts we could
purchase, and there were times when it was
difficult to keep enough sand and gravel on hand.
Now, we have roughly 10 trucks running from the
quarry to the plant.”

Komatsu the top choice

Operators at both the quarry and the plant
run Komatsu equipment. GCH Concrete
loads materials into bins at the plant with a
WA320 wheel loader, and it uses WA380s at
the quarry to move sand and aggregate as
well as to load trucks. GCH digs overburden
with a PC360LC-10 excavator, which loads
it into an HM300 articulated dump truck.
Pushing piles and smoothing out roads is
done with a D65WX-17 dozer.

“We have a long history with Komatsu
equipment that goes back to our early
pipelining days,” said Malcolm. “It often took
us to remote locations, and we could always
trust that our Komatsu machines would start
and run all day. The durability is excellent, so
when we needed equipment for the concrete
plant and quarry, Komatsu was our first choice.
We also appreciate that it’s very fuel-efficient,
and the operators like the comfort. We have
another brand of loader at the quarry, but our
operators don’t like running it. They want
the Komatsus. For new purchases, we don’t
consider anything else.”

The Pettys bought their first Komatsu pieces
from Kirby-Smith Machinery with the help of
Territory Manager Ron Weaver. In addition to
purchasing equipment, the company rents from
Kirby-Smith as needed, working with Rental Sales
Rep Jacky Miller.

“Kirby-Smith ensured that the machines
were the right size for our operations, so we get
maximum productivity,” explained Cole. “When
we need anything, they are right there to help and
are a real pleasure to work with. We are especially
impressed that they take care of the scheduled
maintenance on the new machines through
Komatsu CARE. They call and tell us a service
is due and when they will be out to do it. It’s
peace-of-mind that our machines are taken care of.
All we have to do is fuel, grease and run them.”

Catching their breath

With the Pettys busy managing their flourishing
business it leaves little time to think of future
growth right now.

“We could expand quite a bit more, and some
customers want us to, but we need time to assess
and catch our breath,” said Cade. “However,
we’re facing a situation where it’s almost
inevitable that we will have to grow to keep up
with demand.”

One certain thing for GCH Concrete’s future is
that it will remain a family-run business.

“It’s a real pleasure to get up every day and
work alongside family,” said Malcolm. “Even
though we each have our duties, it’s a total team
effort, and that’s a big reason why we have had
success and growth so fast. We’re proud of what
we’ve accomplished and continue to look forward
to what’s ahead.”